Weekend Fun for NJ Kids: MLK Day Celebration, Family Art Adventure, January 16-17

1/13/16 - By Sasha Muzzarelli

Don’t let the mid-January blues get you down! Take a break from the day to day rush with a hands-on and educational outing such as the Maple Sugaring Demo at Great Swamp, the Family Art Adventure at the Montclair Art Museum or Crafts with Critters at the Cape May Zoo. For some great entertainment, little guys will love Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! and older kiddos will enjoy a performance of STOMP. And for a dose of both history and the fine arts, take the whole family to MLK Celebration: Embodying the Dream at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Whatever you decide to do this weekend, we hope you enjoy it with family and friends. For additional activity options, check out our Event Calendar.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Saturday, January 16th

MLK Celebration: Embodying the Dream (Newark, NJ)
Families are invited to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center for this free community event in celebration of Martin Luther King Day. The essence of Dr. King's dream will be conveyed through a variety of hands-on performing arts workshops.

Stomp (New Brunswick, NJ)
STOMP, the international percussion sensation, has gathered armfuls of awards and has appeared on numerous national television shows. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments (think wooden poles, brooms and garbage cans) to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms.

Read & Explore: Gingerbread Man (Princeton, NJ)
Head to Terhune Orchards to enjoy Read and Explore, a cure for cabin fever!  This fun and educational program continues through the winter season, combining hands-on activity with story time. Kids will read The Gingerbread Man and then each child will decorate a big gingerbread man cookie to take home.

MAM Family Art Adventure (Montclair, NJ)
Drop by the Montclair Art Museum for an hour-long, drop-in gallery program. Explore and discuss artworks and engage in kid-friendly activities found in MAM's galleries and sculpture garden.

Saturday Science Lab (Hamilton, NJ)
Do volcanoes erupt during the winter? Can ice get hot? Conquer winter boredom by exploring the properties of ice and snow through creative science experiments at Tulpehaking Nature Center. Geared towards elementary-age kids, the class will be led by an experienced teacher-naturalist.

Sunday, January 17th

Maple Sugaring Demo (Chatham, NJ)
Maple Sugaring season has arrived! Learn how to identify and tap maple trees, collect sap and make syrup over a wood-fired evaporator. Taste test different delicious syrups, including syrup made right at the Great Swamp OEC.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! (Red Bank, NJ)
Daniel and all of his friends are hopping aboard Trolley to delight live audiences with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Live! Daniel takes the audience on an interactive musical adventure as he and his friends explore the vibrant world of their much-loved Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

Family Nature Walk (Basking Ridge, NJ)
Instead of being cooped up inside on a treadmill, bundle up and hed outdoors for an hour-long interpretive nature walk at the Environmental Education Center in Lord Stirling Park. The hike will be led by a naturalist who will answer questions and point out the beautiful flora and fauna that call NJ home in the winter time.

Crafts with Critters (Cape May, NJ)
Don't be deterred by winter weather - chilly days are a great time to check out bald eagles, bison, alpaca and snow leopards at the Cape May Zoo. Live critters provide the inspiration for a weekly craft session held at the Zoo's Education Station, just outside the zoo entrance.

Check out our NJ GoList featuring our top picks for the entire month of January. And don't forget: We have additional activity listings in our Event Calendar.

And if you are heading into NYC for the weekend, make sure you check out the New York City Mommy Poppins Event Calendar to get the latest on all the fun to be had Big Apple-style.